Calling in the Fall: Autumn Flavors, Simmer Pots, and September Wellness

There is something about September that feels like I can begin to see a light at the end of a long-awaited tunnel. Hope returns more often than not. Despite my readiness for the heat to subside, and business to pick up again, I find myself in a space of waiting so long in this transition that it feel like I've fallen asleep at a train station. Before I know it I am awoken by the loudness of a horn that is swiftly pummeling by. 

The season may not have fully changed yet—especially here in the desert—but we can sense what is coming. Daylight has slowly been shifting adn the evenings arrive a little sooner. And even while the afternoons are still hot, many of us are already craving pumpkin, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, orange peel, apples, and every other flavor that tells the body and spirit that fall is near.

Honestly, that anticipation begins as early as August... I've already been crafting autumn scented candles and embraced spooky vibes, someone mentions Halloween, and suddenly we are ready for sweaters we cannot wear, and dare to drink hot tea out of mugs held between both hands. The begingings of the fall season is more than a love of seasonal flavors. It is a kind of remembering.

September carries the feeling of knowing that we are moving toward cooler weather and longer nights. It begins the path toward Halloween and Día de los Muertos, when the season feels a little more mysterious and our thoughts turn toward memory, tradition, and those who came before us. We get a thrill when thinking about liminal spaces, the supernatural world and wondering about those who have passed on to other realms. It's also the simple anticipation of watching the leaves change to yellow, red, and orange.

Why Fall Flavors Feel So Comforting

Fall spices do more than taste good. Their warmth and aroma create an experience before we ever take that first taste.

Cinnamon is familiar and grounding. Nutmeg and allspice bring layers of depth. Orange peel adds brightness to the darker, richer flavors of the season...apple feels like harvest itself—sweet, crisp, and comforting—while pumpkin gives us the earthy abundance we begin craving as summer fades.

Together, these flavors help create a seasonal ritual you can taste, smell and feel. Brewing tea, slicing an apple, or placing a pot of spices on the stove can mark the transition even when the temperature outside does not. We do not have to wait for the weather to grant us permission to welcome fall. We can begin by changing the fragrance of the room, the warmth of the cup, and the pace of the evening.

Here are three simple ways to bring that feeling home.

Spiced Apple Rooibos

Naturally caffeine-free, this infusion is softly sweet, warmly spiced, and perfect for an evening cup.

You will need:

• 1 tablespoon rooibos
• ½ small apple, thinly sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 whole allspice berries, lightly crushed
• A small pinch of nutmeg
• 2 cups just-boiled water
• Honey or maple syrup, if desired

To make it:

Place the rooibos, apple, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg in a small teapot or heat-safe jar. Pour hot, steamy water over the spices, cover, and steep for 10 to 15 minutes for an amazing beverage even the kids will enjoy. Strain, sweeten if desired. For an infusion with a little bit of cream feel free to add splash of oat milk.

Hibiscus, Orange Peel & Cinnamon Tea

This jewel-toned infusion carries the brightness of late summer into the spice of fall. It is beautiful served hot, but it can also be poured over ice on those September days that still feel like the blazing heat of August.

You will need:

• 1 tablespoon dried hibiscus
• 1 teaspoon dried orange peel
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 thin slice of fresh ginger
• 2 cups just-boiled water
• Honey, to taste

To make it:

Combine the Hibiscus, Orange peel, Cinnamon, and Ginger in a teapot. Pour over hot steamy water and cover, steep for 8 to 10 minutes. Strain and sweeten to taste. Add a small, curled zest of a fresh orange slice if you want to make it feel a little more special as a slice that includes the pith can make your infusion bitter.

Apple, Orange & Autumn Spice Simmer Pot

A simmer pot is one of the simplest ways to shift the feeling of an entire room. This one smells like an orchard, a spice cupboard, and the first cool evening all at once.

You will need:

• 1 apple, sliced
• 1-2 slices of a dried orange (or orange peel from 1 fresh orange (eat the orange)
• 1-2 cinnamon sticks 
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• WaterOptional add-ins:
• 4 whole allspice berries
• 5-10 dried cranberries
• 1 small piece of fresh ginger
• A small pinch of nutmeg
• Apple slices fresh or dried
• A crushed Star Anise

To make it:

Place everything in a small saucepan and cover generously with water. Bring it just to a boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and allow it to gently simmer uncovered. Add more water as needed, and never leave the pot unattended. This recipe is intended to scent the home, I myself cannot be stopped from drinking it afterwards.

Autumn Spiced Honey

One of my favorite simple remedies for this time of year is Autumn Spiced Honey. It offers warming support for digestion and circulation, and it is one of the quickest ways to bring the flavors of fall into almost anything.

Start with an 8- or 9-ounce jar of honey. Pour the honey into a small saucepan and warm it over low heat for a few minutes, stirring gently. You do not want it to boil this tends to kill all the wonderful benefits from the honey itself—you are simply warming it until it becomes thinner and easier to blend.

Once the honey has loosened, stir in one tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice. For a stronger, more intensely spiced honey, you can add up to two tablespoons. Continue stirring until the spices are evenly incorporated, then carefully pour the honey back into the jar and allow it to cool.

Add a spoonful to hot water for an easy instant autumn tea, or stir it into your favorite herbal infusion. It is also delicious drizzled over apples or pears, spooned onto yogurt, paired with cheese on a charcuterie board, or added anywhere you want a little warmth and instant autumn flavor.

It is quick, simple, and easy to keep on hand throughout the season.

As with all honey, do not serve Autumn Spiced Honey to children younger than one year old.

Welcoming the Season Before It Arrives

September does not ask us to be fully in autumn yet. It simply invites us to notice that it is on it's way and we will eventually get there soon enough.

This is the beauty of seasonal living: we begin to recognize transition, not only arrival. We notice the changing angle of the sun, the earlier dusk, and the first desire for cinnamon in our tea. We start reaching for richer colors, warmer scents, and small rituals that make home feel more comforting.

So bring out the apples. Twist the lid from the cinnamon jar. Dry a little orange peel for later. Let something fragrant simmer on the stove while the evening settles in.

Fall is not quite here—but September lets us feel it coming.

Other practices that are ritualistic for me include cranking down the AC during the coolest time of the day then burying myself underneath autumn-colored blankets patterned with skulls, spiders, and pumpkins, lighting candles, burning cinnamon incense, and watching the monsoon rains with a hot mug in my hand. Yes- pumpkin everything, popcorn and scary movies and podcasts on the daily!